This invention pertains to the field of self-service processes, systems, and applications. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a system and method for self service, call routing, and intelligent transition from self service to agent-assisted service.
Automated telephone-based customer support systems, such as auto attendant (AA) systems, (which may also be referred to as automated attendant systems, virtual receptionist systems, interactive voice response (IVR) systems, AA/IVR systems, and other names) have evolved from relatively simple devices to more complex computerized systems for handling calls pertaining to a variety of issues. Modern AA systems can often allow a caller to resolve an issue through self service, without the need for a human agent to provide agent-assisted service. And in cases where agent-assisted service is required to address a caller's issue, an AA system may facilitate connecting the caller to the appropriate agent for resolving the issue.
For example, an AA system may automatically answer a telephone call from a caller, play a standard message to the caller, and then await a response from the caller. In some AA systems, this response may come in the form of the caller depressing a particular telephone key, which often generates a standardized set of tones called Dual-tone multi-frequency tones (DTMF), and/or in the form of voice input for more sophisticated voice recognition systems. Based on the caller response, the system may process the incoming call appropriately to resolve one or more issues which prompted the caller to place the call.
Auto attendant systems often have a complex menu structure, via which an incoming caller may, for example, proceed through a complex decision tree, being presented with a series of recorded voice prompts (or generated voice prompts utilizing Text-To-Speech) and providing corresponding responses, in order to connect the incoming caller with a particular person, departmental function, or information to resolve the incoming caller's issue(s). Some AA systems operate using voice communication over traditional Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN), wireless radio infrastructure, and/or voice-over-IP technologies.
Many commercial owners or users of AA systems also operate websites which can provide additional information to a customer, and in this case, one or more voice prompts which are provided by the auto attendant system may encourage incoming callers to stop using the telephone-based AA system, and instead to switch to using a web browser to engage in a self service operation with a computer-based customer support system.
However, callers to an organization's telephone-based auto attendant system may experience frustration with unsuccessful IVR interactions or encounter long wait times during peak call periods. Computer-based customer support systems may provide (e.g., via a network) a broader range of automated information and with little or no wait times where a customer seeks a resolution to the customer's issue during a self service session. However, if the computer-based customer support system fails to allow the customer to resolve an issue, the customer may still need to speak with a customer service agent to resolve the issue.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a system and method which supports self service, and which can facilitate and streamline the operation of a subsequent telephone call for agent-assisted service.
The present invention comprises a system and method for supporting self service, and for subsequent call routing for agent-assisted service when self service does not resolve an issue.
In one aspect of the invention, a method is provided of supporting an interaction of a user with a self service application. The method comprises: (1) presenting to the user, via a display device of a self service access terminal, a user interface for the self service application; (2) receiving, via the user interface, a user-supplied input; (3) based at least in part on the user-supplied input, navigating a decision tree associated with the self service application to reach a next node of the decision tree, and presenting to the user a user interface screen which is associated with the next node; (4) repeating steps (2) and (3) until the next node of the decision tree indicates that an agent-assisted service session should be initiated between the user and a human agent; and (5) when the next node of the decision tree indicates that an agent-assisted service session should be initiated between the user and a human agent, communicating data associated with the interaction with the self service application to an agent computer which displays information to the human agent
In another aspect of the invention, another method is provided of supporting an interaction of a user with a self service application. The method comprises: (1) at a server, receiving user-supplied input from a self-service access terminal which is located remotely from the server; (2) based at least in part on the user-supplied input, navigating a decision tree associated with a self service application to reach a next node of the decision tree; (3) communicating self service data from the server to the remotely located self-service access terminal, where the self service data is associated with the next node and causes the self-service access terminal to display on a display device a user interface screen associated with the next node; (4) repeating steps (1) through (3) until the next node of the decision tree indicates that an agent-assisted service session should be initiated between the user and a human agent; and (5) when the next node of the decision tree indicates that an agent-assisted service session should be initiated between the user and a human agent, communicating data associated with the interaction with the self service application from the server to an agent computer which displays information to the human agent.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a non-transitory data storage medium has stored thereon instructions for causing a processor to execute a process for supporting an interaction of a user with a self service application. The process comprises: (1) presenting to a user, via a display device of a self service access terminal, a user interface screen of a user interface of a self service application; (2) receiving, via the user interface, a user-supplied input pertaining to an interaction with the self service application; (3) based at least in part on the user-supplied input, navigating a decision tree associated with the self service application to reach a next node of the decision tree, and presenting to the user another user interface screen associated with the next node; and (4) repeating steps (2) and (3) until the next node of the decision tree indicates that an agent-assisted service session should be initiated between the user and a human agent; and (5) when the next node of the decision tree indicates that an agent-assisted service session should be initiated between the user and a human agent, automatically communicating data associated with the interaction with the self service application to an agent computer which displays information to the human agent.